Handwashing Helps to Prevent Illness
Frequent handwashing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness among your family members, in daycares and schools, and in the workplace. So in honor of National Handwashing Awareness Week (December 5-9), here are some great tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on when and how to wash your hands properly.
When should you wash your hands?
– Before, during and after preparing food
– Before eating food
– Before and after caring for someone who is sick
– Before and after treating a cut or wound
– After using the toilet
– After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
– After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
– After touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
– After touching garbage
What is the right way to wash your hands?
- Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
– Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
– Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. (Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.)
– Rinse your hands well under running water.
– Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.
Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.
Regular handwashing, and covering your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or coughing or sneezing into the crook of your elbow are simple measures to slow the spread of germs, and therefore, the flu. But if you still get sick, look for Boiron’s cough, cold and flu products for children and adults – Oscillococcinum for flu-like symptoms, Chestal cough syrup, and Coldcalm for cold symptoms—sold at most drug stores and local health food stores. For more information, visit Oscillo.com or check us out on Facebook or Twitter.
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